Defining Myth
 

Myth: Greek: Muthos 'anything uttered by word of mouth.'

An account of something, A story understood by the narrator. Nowadays a myth tends to signify a fiction, something that is untrue: (e.g.,"the existence of werewolves is a myth"). Mythologos: Story-teller.

Indeed, we often mistakenly equate the word with a lie. But the word myth in its truest sense means much more than this. We adopted the word myth to mean something fictitious, because myths were originally centrally concerned with gods and goddesses. After a time, when philosophers doubted the existence of these gods, they began to speak of myths as fictitious.

As the scholar Jeremy Curtin has said, "true myths--and there are many such--are the most comprehensive and splendid statements of truth known to man".

But what exactly is a myth?

It is difficult to define myth, especially as myth is closely related to legend, saga and folktale. (Saga or Legend: stories containing a kernel of historical truth and focusing upon the adventures of a hero and many myths do trace the exploits of a hero--whether mortal or demi-god.)

Scholars, however, have concluded that certain characteristics that are commonly evident in myth, though it should be noted that not every myth contains all of these characteristics.

Five Common Characteristics of Myth

  1. Myths are traditional stories.
    By traditional we mean these stories are transmitted By word of mouth from one generation to the next. No one knows who first created these stories.

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  2. Myths often occur in association with religious ritual.
    Rituals are ceremonies in which people express their religious faith and beliefs. Part of the Ancient Greek rituals involved the communication of myths. They do so verbally, by means of narratives, or theatrically, by means of dances, songs and images.  This does not simply mean that myths make mention of certain religious rituals. It means that the myths themselves are part of the religious ritual. The telling of the myth is intimately tied in with the religious ritual.

    Some myths explain why certain religious rituals developed or were instituted. As well, the myth itself may become part of the ritual--a telling of the sacred stories of the gods and the people who worship them.

    This is how drama first developed. Some myths were performed each year for worshipers, as part of the festivals held in honour of particular gods.
     

  3. All or some of the actors in the myths are divine or partly divine.
    This is certainly true of quite a few myths whose characters are gods or demi-gods (beings who have some mortal and some divine blood).  It should be noted, however, that not every myth must contain a divine character. Quite a few myths have no characters who are gods or demi-gods, simply great heroes. These myths are difficult to distinguish from saga or folktale.
     
  4. Myths offer a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the universe and man's place in it.
    For this reason, the most important myths in a religious system are 'cosmogonic' myths--myths of creation. Such myths explain and verify the order of the world: Before creation there was chaos; after creation there was order. This order is reflected in the world: moral codes, religious beliefs, ritual practices, taboos, the cycle of life (birth, death, maturity), man's relationship to the gods, social structures.

    Myths that explain how something came into being (whether a natural phenomenon, a societal institution, a religious ritual, moral standards, etc... are called etiological myths. The term comes from the ancient Greek word Aitia which means cause. An example of an etiological myth might be the myth of Typhon, a fire-breathing monster who dwells under mount Etna. When he is angered, Etna erupts. Thus, the myth explains why Etna experiences volcanic eruptions.
     

  5. Myths serve as a model for human behaviour.
    Because myth establishes the underlying order of all reality, it provides a model of how man, living in a world ruled by gods and natural forces of a certain type, should act.     It is not only the basis for ethics, the rules that govern right and wrong actions, but for practical actions, such as those having to do with surviving in the natural world. Myth tells us that because the world was created and is run in a certain way, people should therefore behave in a certain way.